Each new year we look back at the adventures we had and news articles posted in the last 12 months. To figure out the top 5 articles of 2018, I dug into the archives and pulled the most-viewed stories posted in the past year (excluding gear reviews which will get its own top 5 article). The items of most interest to you, the reader, run the gamut from new mountain bike trails to the spat between Alta and the CWC.
So here it is, the top five articles of 2018 listed in order:
5. Deer Valley, Alta and Snowbird join new Ikon Pass
The announcement of the Ikon Pass made waves among Utah skiers. As true competition against Vail’s Epic Pass, skiers and snowboarders were stoked to have a new option. Deer Valley, Alta and Snowbird all joined up and offered limited days to Ikon Pass holders. As we all know since this piece was published that Alterra purchased Solitude Mountain which offered unlimited days. Ikon certainly has changed the landscape in Big Cottonwood Canyon and Utah as a whole.
4. Central Wasatch Commission and Alta dispute escalates
Another big news story in the Utah skiing landscape is the disagreement between Alta and the Central Wasatch Commission. With the future of Grizzly Gulch at stake and major public/private land transfers on the table, this spat had divided local skiers, especially backcountry users who want to save Grizzly Gulch but also love skiing Alta.
Alta Ski Patrol gives back for Adam Naisbitt Living Memorial
Adam Naisbitt was an Alta ski patroller who took his own life. The event shocked the tight-knit ski patrol at Alta. To help cope and to remember their friend, patrollers spent a summer day giving back to the community by working on trail projects and erasing graffiti at the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon.
2. Athena Trail first of many mountain bike trails coming to Green River
News of new mountain bike trails in Utah is always welcome. So it comes as no surprise that readers were very interested in the new Athena Trail in Green River. The first of hopefully many new trails in the area, Athena features desert singletrack that climbs and descends over rocky ridges, shoulders, and even slickrock.
1. Canyons Bike Park to be dismantled this summer
The most read article of 2018 was a shocker for Utah’s mountain bike community. News that Vail planned to dismantle and close the Canyons Bike Park saddened gravity warriors. Outraged, riders petitioned for reconsideration, but Vail followed through, closing off several trails to be sent back to a natural state. Now Deer Valley is the only downhill-specific game in Park City.